“This is an unprecedented, unwise, and unlawful move by the government. The Constitution does not permit the government to force companies to hack into their customers’ devices… The government’s request also risks setting a dangerous precedent. If the FBI can force Apple to hack into its customers’ devices, then so too can every repressive regime in the rest of the world. Apple deserves praise for standing up for its right to offer secure devices to all of its customers.”

— The American Civil Liberties Union commenting on the FBI’s demand that Apple unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter who killed 14 people and injured 22 on December 2, 2015. The FBI contends that the iPhone contains crucial evidence about the shooter’s link to the victims and possibly to Islamic terrorists.

However, Apple’s openly gay CEO Tim Cook asserts that while he believes the FBI has good intentions, that Apple does not have the technology to disable the iPhone feature which wipes out the phone’s data after 10 incorrect attempts to enter its passcode. The FBI, through a court, is in essence pressuring Apple to create a bypass method that does not currently exist.

Apple has vowed to resist the FBI’s request and is so serious about protecting users’ data that current iPhone 6 technology will render a phone inoperable if non-Apple dealers mess with its thumbprint ID recognition hardware.